# 6506
Although only a tropical depression at this time, the forecast is for TD#9 to intensify to storm strength later tonight (it would be named Isaac), and to hurricane strength by Thursday.
The islands of Hispaniola and Cuba appear to be a greatest risk right now, but a northward curve may put Florida in its sights by early next week.
Among the most vulnerable populations along its forecast path are the hundreds of thousands of Haitians who remain in tent cities and improvised shelters following the 7.0 earthquake of early 2010. Their plight was recently highlighted in a NYT’s article called Years After Haiti Quake, Safe Housing Is a Dream for Many.
Even if they are spared hurricane force winds, torrential rains can easily exacerbate the cholera outbreaks that are still ongoing, and can cause severe flooding, and devastating mud slides.
September is National Preparedness Month, but today’s forecast should serve as a wakeup call to all who live within range of hurricanes and tropical storms that one is wise not to wait to prepare.
Traditionally August is when the Atlantic hurricane season really begins to pick up steam, and that trend usually peaks in mid-September.
When it comes to getting the latest information on hurricanes, your first stop should always be the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. These are the real experts, and the only ones you should rely on to track and forecast the storm.
The second official information source you should have bookmarked is your local Office of Emergency Management.
Here you’ll be able to access local warnings, flood maps and evacuation information. To find it, you can Google or Yahoo search with your county/parish name and the words `Emergency Management’.
If you are on Twitter, you should also follow @FEMA, @CraigatFEMA, @NHC_Atlantic, @NHC_Pacific and @ReadydotGov.
NOAA’s NWS National Hurricane Center in Miami also has a Facebook page, where you can keep up with the latest tropical developments.
If you haven’t already downloaded the Tropical Cyclone Preparedness Guide, now would be an excellent time to do so. It is a short (12-page), easy to follow guide that will walk you through the basics of understanding (and surviving) hurricanes and tropical storms.
